Speed-gearing for bicycles.



No. 636,385. Patented Nov. 7, I899.

'J. B. HOWE.

SPEED GEABING FOB BICYCLES.

'(Applinution filed Feb 16, 1899 3 Sheets$heet (No Model.)

INVENTOR J. B.How

' ATTORN WITNESSES:

m: nouns mu: co. nmwrka. wAmmnmN u c No. 636,385. Patented Nov. 7, I899.J. B. HOWE. 6 SPEED HEARING FOR BICYGLES.

(Applicltion filed Feb. 16, 1899.)

3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR J B, Howe ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

Y E News vzwzns co morowumnv. wAsnma-rcm, 1.7.1:.

No. 636,385. Patented Nov. 7, I899. J. B. HOWE.

SPEED G-EARING FOB BICYGLES.

(Application filad Feb. 16, 1899.)

3SheetsSheet 3,

{No Model.)

mzznlny m/ d l I III! ////lIlIIlIIlIIlIIIlI1lllIl/nIAWIIIIIm/IIIIIIIIIIIII I H lll V/ lNVENTdR J. B. How:

' ATTORN PATENT Brion.

- JOHN B. HOWE, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

' SPEED-(BEARING FOR BICYCLESI SPECIFICATION formingpart of LettersPatent N 0. 636,385, dated November '7, 1899.

Application filed February 16 1899.

To all whom/it may concern: 3

Be it known that I,-JOHN B. HOWE, a citiin the county of Fairfield andState of Connecticut, have invented certain new and use ful Improvementsin Speed-Gearin g for Bicycles and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description offthe invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and usethe same. A

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bicycles,but more particularly has reference to the provision of change-speedgears, whereby the benefits of a high or of a low gear may be obtainedinstantly at the option of the rider.

The object of my invention is to provide a very simple and effectiveconstruction, while the friction and the weight are believed to bereduced to a minimum.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain details ofconstruction and combination of parts, such as will hereinafter be fullyset'forth and then specifically be designated by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application,Figure l is anele- Vation of a bicyclecomplete equipped with myimprovement; Fig. 2, a section at the line w 00 of Fig. 3; and Figs. 3and 4 are sections, respectively, at the lines y y and 2 z of Fig. 2. i

Similar numbers of reference denote like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

The matter of'journaling parts by ball-bearings is so exceedingly simpleand well known that in the description of the present invention I willnotrefer to such bearings by any detailed explanation, and Ishall deemit sufficient to say in all'instances that the part or parts referred toare j ournaled with ball-bearmgs.

My improvement accomplishes the end aimed at by doing away entirely withall friction-clutch devices which have heretofore proved so uncertainand unsatisfactory in their operation.

1 is the usual frame of a bicycle, and 2 is casing secured to the lowerportion of the ments are in the Serial No. 705,668. illo model.)

frame at the .point where the cranks usually hang. zen of the UnitedStates, residing at Danbu ry,

3 is thecrank-shaft, and 4 the cranks,which shaft is hung in the casingand journaled in the manner presently to be explained;

5 is the sprocket, which is rigid on a hub 6, that projects inwardlyinto the casing and surrounds the crank-shaft, which latter has .a hub 7rigid therewith and extending within the casing around the free end ofthe hub 6. Ball bearings 8 are between the crankshaft and hub 6 at eachside of the casing,

while ball-bearings 9 10 are respectively between the casing and theoutside of these hubs 6 7.

It will of course be readily understood that ordinary mechanical skillis exercised in providing suitable bearing-rings or surfaces capable ofadjustment; but, as I said before, I will enter into no detaileddescription in this respect.

The hub 6 has rigid therewith gears 11 12, the former of which is ofless diameter than the latter, and the hub 7 has secured tightlythereona gear 13 of the same size as the gear 12, and these two gears 1213 are side by side,

as shown at Figs 3 and 4.

'From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that thecrank-shaft and the sprocket are capable of independent movements andthat the bearings for these two elesame verticalplanes at each side ofthe casing. 1 a

14 are pivot-studs driven through the sides of the casing, and aroundthese studs are pivoted cam-plates 15, which are similar to each otherin every respect. Between these cam-plates and on opposite sides oftheir pivotal points are journaled hubs 16 17, and I will refer brieflyto the manner in which the journaling of these hubs is e fiected inorder that the same may be clearly understood.

Referring respectively to Figs. 3 and 4,

18 19 are pins shouldered and threaded at their extremities and drivenwithin the camplates, and each of these pins near its extremities hasright and left handed threads. The right and left hand threads of thepin 18 take into bearing-rings 20, and bearingblocks 21 are shrunkwithin the ends of the hub 16, and between these rings and blocks areball-bearings 22, the rings being secured as against rotary movement bymeans of pins 23 extending into said rings from the inner faces of thecam-plates. By turning the pin 18 by means of any suitable screw-driverthe bearing-rings 20 are adjusted in the'usual manner, and nuts 24 aredriven on the outer threaded ends of the pin to hold the same inposition when a proper adjustment has once been secured. The right andleft hand threads of the pin 19 take into bearing-rings 25, andbearing-blocks 26 are shrunk within the ends of the hub 17, and betweenthese rings and blocks are ball-bearings 27, the rings being secured asagainst rotary movement by means of pins 28, extending into said ringsfrom the inner faces of the cam-plates. By turning the pin 19 in themanner heretofore described with respect to the pin 18 the bearing-rings25 are adjusted in the usual manner, and nuts 29 are driven on the outerthreaded ends of this pin 19 to hold the same in position when a properadjustment has once been secured.

The hub 16 carries a gear 30, which is opposite the gears 12 13 andwhich is wide enough to mesh with both these gears at the same time,while the hub 17 carries two gears 31 32, the former of which is thesmaller and is capable of meshing with the gear 13, while the gear 32 isa larger gear and is capable of meshing with the small gear 11 on thehub 6.

33 is a rock-shaft pivoted within the casing by means of pivot-studs 3a,the extremities of this shaft carrying cam-levers 35. 36 is a crankextending from this shaft, and to this crank is pivoted a rod 37, whichextends preferably inside the frame of the bicycle and at its upper endis pivoted to a dog 38, which latter is in turn pivoted in any suitablemanner to the frame. By operating this dog 38 the rod 37 is actuated tothrow the cam-lever against the cam-plate either on one side or theother of the pivotal point of this plate, thus throwing the gear 30 intoengagement with the gears 12 13 or throwing the gears3l 32 intoengagement with the gears 13 11.

When the wide gear 30 is in engagement with the gears 12 13, the speedofthe sprocket will of course be the same as the speed of the crank-shaft;but when the gears 31 32 are in engagement with the gears 13 11 thespeed of the sprocket will be greater than that of the crank-shaft, andtherefore any desired gear of the bicycle may be obtained by making thegears inside of the casing of the proper size.

The dog 38 may be operated so as to hold the several gears on thecam-plate out of engagement with the gears on the hubs 6 7, so that therider may hold the crank-shafts stationary, either for the purpose ofremoving the motive power from his machine or forconvenience incoasting, as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bicycle, the crank-shaft and the sprocket journaledindependently and concentrically within a surrounding casing, thespeed-gears moving in harmony with said sprocket, the gear carried bythe crank-shaft and side by side wit-h one of the first-named gears andof the same size, the cam-plates pivoted within said casing, the widegear journaled between said plates on one side of the pivotal pointthereof and capable of meshing with the two similar-sized gearspreviously mentioned, the double gear journaled between said plates onthe other side of the pivotal point thereof and capable of meshin g withthe' gear carried by the crank-shaft and the smaller gear moving inharmony with the sprocket-wheel, the pivoted cam -levers, and meanscontrolled and operated by the rider for throwing said cam-leversagainst the camplates whereby the gears carried by said plates areengaged with or disengaged from the gears which move in harmony with thecrank-shaft and sprocket, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bicycle,the combination of the crankshaft and the sprocketjournaled independent-1y and concentrically within a surrounding casing,the large and small gears moving in harmony with said sprocket, the gearof the same size as the large sprocket-gear and carried by thecrank-shaft side by side with said sprocket-gear, the wide gear and thedouble-speed gears suitably journaled and supported in proximity to thegears carried by said shaft and sprocket, and means controlled by therider for effecting the engagement and disengagement of said wide gearwith said same-sized gear and for effecting the engagement anddisengagement of said double gear and the crank-shaft gear and smallsprocketgear, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bicycle,the combination of the crankshaft and the sprocketjournaled independently and concentrically within a surrounding casing,the speed-gearsmoving in harmony with said sprocket, the gear moving inharmony with the crank-shaft and side by side with one of thefirst-named gears of the same size, the wide gear and double gearjournaled within and carried by a rocking element, and means controlledby the rider for effecting the rocking movements of said element,whereby thegears carried thereby are thrown into and out of engagementwith the first-named gears, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. IIOWE.

Witnesses:

STEPHEN D. BUTLER, NORMAN HODGE.

